I really should have titled this post "How to Protect Everything From Izzy." That boy is a destructive machine. We can't have anything even near his stall, and that includes rakes and wheelbarrows.

He's already dug a massive pit in his paddock and dragged a manure fork into his stall; I shared that already. Most recently, he has taken to banging up the barn for his entertainment. He loves to whack his feet on the rails of his stall. It's loud and obviously highly entertaining.

It's not so easy on his body though. After he a pulled a shoe the other weekend while playing in his paddock, I slipped on some bell boots. This is what they looked like the next morning ...

They weren't new or anything, but they were at least WHOLE.

When I took Speedy for a hand walk the other day, I came back and noticed that Izzy had taken a chunk out of his heel bulb while he was hollering at us to come back! Since he tore off the bell boots, I didn't feel too sorry for him, but I realized I had better get him another pair.

A week or so ago, he also took a chunk out of the inside of his front leg, which means I've been using dressage boots when I work him on the lunge line. So now he gets dressage boots and removable bell boots for work.

Is there anything else I can cover?

A Facebook friend suggested that since his one hind leg is wrapped, it might be prudent to support the other leg with a wrap as well, so now he gets a polo wrap on the other leg.

It's definitely not a dressage queen look. Can anybody say GHETTO?!

I've got a pair of pull-on bell boots on the way. I hope I am not wasting my money, but right now, I can't afford to doctor yet another part of his body.

I had to remove Stampede's pull on bell boots last night, and it was quite the workout. I got him black Beval's and they still look brand new after a week and a half on. I was pretty impressed with them.

He currently has two jolly balls, but I am working on a few other toys. A friend suggested a boat bumper - those things that hang from the side of a boat to keep it from hitting a dock. We have a marine store nearby so I am going to look into those as well as a highway pylon. :0)

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About the Writer & Rider

I am a lifetime rider. I began endurance riding in 1996 where I ultimately completed five, one-day 100 mile races, the 200-mile Death Valley Encounter, and numerous other 50, 65, and 75 mile races. I began showing dressage in 2010.​Welcome to my dressage journey.

About Speedy G

Speedy went from endurance horse to dressage horse. We're currently schooling Third Level in preparation for the 2019 show season. Speedy is a 2004, 15'1 hand, purebred Arabian gelding. His Arabian Horse Registry name is G Ima Starr FA.

August 2018

About Izzy

Izzy was started as a four-year old and then spent the next 18 months in pasture growing up. I bought him as a six-year old, and together, we are schooling the dressage basics. He is a 2008, 16'3 hand warmblood gelding. His Rheinland Pfalz-saar International (RPSI) name is Imperioso.